After Hours
by raptorbox
Summary: [Restaurant AU] [Sparrowshipping] They really need alone time to sort things out.


a/n: repost from 2015 but this is one of my fave things I've written

* * *

Yuuya has been tending almost non-stop to Shun since he got here and set up shop for studying. Yuuto has gotten some conversation in with his friend, partly to test out how serious he was about actually studying in the diner in his crush's section, but the fewer words than normal really sold the seriousness to him. He let him be for the rest of the evening, opposite of Yuuya's doting and attentive coffee refills and toast replenishing.

Yuuto is glad that Yuuya seemed more cheerful today, which was even noticed by customers, but he's still unsure about how he feels about it being related to Shun's mere presence in his vicinity. Yuuya worries him, honestly, but Yuuto is glad that at least he knows the guy this time.

"Yuuya, can you kick Shun out?" he's asking as he's closing out his last check of the night, Yuuya hovering at his side with a check book in hand. "We're closing now and I'd like to go home tonight."

Yuuya fidgets. "Uh, you can go ahead and go. I'll stay."

Yuuto stops hitting buttons and fixes a Look on Yuuya. He says nothing, but he doesn't really need to.

"I just," Yuuya jumps, "I just want to let him study, okay? I mean...it's fine, I'll finish closing up. You wanna go home really bad, right? So just go ahead, I can do this, it's all good!"

Yuuto sees right the fuck through him, and he knows that Yuuya knows this. Yuuya is holding tight to his check book, glancing around and really not into Yuuto's eyes at all. It's really obvious, it's really really obvious what young adult romance plot trope whatever Yuuya is going for, something theatrical and dramatic, he just wishes Yuuya would at least tell him earlier than "last minute".

"You should have told me this hours ago," he says and finishes closing out the check, "I could have come up with a better alibi for you."

Yuuya lights up, bouncing with life. "Thanks, Yuuto!"

Yuuto gathers the credit card and final copies of the receipts into his check book. "I'm serious, you're going to have to do most of the explaining about why the hell you'd want to stay so late alone. I'll text you whatever I come up with."

Yuuya's smile is more engulfing and loving than any hug Yuuto could be bestowed with. He could have told him it was okay to murder someone, and that smile would wash away all guilt he would've felt. But, honestly, he just wants this crush mess to be dealt with once and for all, and giving the two time to sort it out doesn't seem like asking for too much. He just hopes this won't backfire somehow.

Yuuto whips out his phone as Yuuya hops to the register, pulls up Twitter with a desire to express his exasperation with the world.

**Lightning Revolution** darkrebellion  
yuugo is going to kill me

He deletes it immediately, realizing the one person he would vent about this to is the one involved and that no one really needs to be prying into this, anyway; at least not through him.

When Yuuya turns off most of the lights in the building, Shun finally looks up from his notes and around the empty restaurant while yanking out one of his earbuds.

His eyes follow Yuuya as he approaches his booth. "You could have told me you were closing," he grumbles, though his chest constricts as Yuuya slides into the seat opposite him. Yuuya smiles at him and it's disappointing that it's almost too dark to see completely.

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt your studying," Yuuya explains as he sets his apron, haphazardly wrapped and bundled around itself in a way that is completely opposite from the neat folding Yuuto does to his, onto the table, "you seemed really into it, y'know; you didn't even notice when I stopped refilling your coffee."

Shun looks to his left by his hand, where the mug he'd been drinking out of all afternoon and into the evening had been; it's not there anymore, nor are the small stack of plates that he'd accumulated over the many hours he's been here.

"Or when I bussed your table, apparently."

Yuuya just smiles when Shun pinches the bridge of his nose. Shun sighs, runs his hand up through his bangs. "Yeah, apparently," he says. He sits up straight, finally, and grimaces when his back pops in five-or-so places.

Yuuya winces. "Heard that."

Shun opts to not respond, and instead focus on gathering up his things, which Yuuya is quick to interrupt, too.

"Oh, no, you don't have to hurry! I mean, you're not done with that chapter, right?" he rushes, sounding eager and even hopeful that this is true. Shun furrows his brow, checks the pages he has left, and purses his lips.

"I have two pages left to read-"

"You can finish! I don't mind waiting!"

Shun glances at Yuuya, and he can feel the small thrums of anxiety creeping in. He doesn't really want to take up Yuuya's time, especially at...it must be after 10pm, definitely, and make him stay later just so he can read some pages of his biology textbook; it feels like he's responsible for this, but Yuuya is sitting pleasantly across from him, cheek in his hand and smile on his face.

He at least feels obligated to try. "...Sure."

It's not silent for Shun since he still has one earbud tucked away in his ear, his phone still playing through the same 12-odd songs in his library. He's trying to read through these lines, things about cells and cell parts and cell functions, but he's still distracted by Yuuya in his peripheral vision and Yuuya's feet very gently brushing up against his. Yuuya must be swinging his feet, at least a little, and every time he knocks them against Shun's it sends his heartbeat into the gentle, firm drumming against his chest.

This is stupid; this entire situation is far off his scale of "able to handle".

Shun shuts his textbook suddenly, Yuuya jumps, and Shun is pulling out his last earbud before shoving all his materials back into his backpack.

"Uh-are you done already?" Yuuya asks. He sounds worried, disappointed, please stay.

Shun huffs, he's well aware that he's rushing out of nowhere to leave, but the fluttery tension between them is creating something much more uncomfortable in his gut and he wants to escape. "No, but I'm going."

He gets up, ignores the "Wait!" called out behind him, and it's really just a turn around the booth to the door until he's there, hand on the handle, pushing-

It's locked.

Shun finally stops. He stares at the handle, gives the door another jiggle. It's a moment that allows him to calm down, he's breathing a little louder than he realized, and he looks at Yuuya, confused. He jiggles the door again for emphasis; Yuuya grins, so he must look pretty foolish right now.

"I was gonna tell you it's locked," Yuuya says, grabbing his apron and getting up from the booth himself, "but you, uh...I guess you're really in a hurry. Sorry."

Shun wants to tell Yuuya it's not his fault that he panics at any given instance of affection given to him by people he has romantic feelings for, but what he says instead is, "Why is it locked?"

Yuuya is digging his keys out of his pocket while giving Shun a confused look. It's a very cute look on him, Shun notes, and he also realizes he feels better now that he feels less trapped by the booth and the table and the legs on his legs.

"Because I lock the door when we close so people don't come in?" Yuuya responds in the form of a question; Shun feels mocked, but he deserves it.

Shun is watching Yuuya practically wiggle in between him and the door, keys first. "Then how do you get out?"

The key stops just an inch from the lock. Shun wonders if this has changed everything.

Yuuya looks up at him, Shun looks down at him. "I leave through the back door at the end of the night. It's the last door we lock."

There's silence as they stare at each other, both paused in their door-related actions. Shun can see Yuuya's body move as his breath hitches suddenly in the moonlight, and he knows he's not the only one feeling that fluttery tension. Shun should tell him to unlock the door, tell him he needs to leave, that he'll see him tomorrow anyway if he's working so what's the big deal.

But Yuuya picks up the thread leading somewhere else, and this is what actually changes everything.

"I can show you if you want."

Shun knows he can insist on leaving now, through the front door, through the public door that everyone in Yuuya's casual, non-intimate life leaves through. He can, but he feels like it's maybe too late for that.

"Sure," he says, and he wonders if Yuuya's heart is beating as fast as his right now.

Yuuya's eyes light up and he bounces back, away from the door and just one step further into the diner. "Great! I can show you the kitchen, too!" he says, sounding absolutely delighted as he's taking step after step away. He keeps going and Shun follows.

Shun has never been behind the counter here before, or really at any food place he can remember, and while Yuuya walks into this area that's as much a part of him as his smiles, Shun feels as if the atmosphere around him changes. Behind the counter isn't where he's supposed to be, but he's there anyway and only delving deeper into unknown territory while being led by Yuuya into places Yuuto has never even taken him. He's putting too much stock in this, there shouldn't be anything fluttery or heart-pounding about following Yuuya into the kitchen.

Yuuya stands in the kitchen, turns to Shun and holds his arms out to the sides. "Ta-da!" he exclaims, grinning wide and shaking his hands for emphasis. Shun is a little alarmed by the sudden increase in enthusiasm.

He looks around; it's a small kitchen, smaller than he imagined but it's a small building so what else should he have expected. "It's very...clean," is all he can think to say, considering that the kitchen is only lit by fly lights and a light in the far back.

Yuuya drops his arms, but not the smile. "Of course it is!"

Shun frowns. He's not sure if this is where they're going to...well, he's not sure, because the tension is lighter with the distraction, but he's not even sure how to deal with it in the first place. Yuuya wanted to be alone with him, that much was obvious. He wonders if this when they confess their feelings or use this isolated alone time for...something? Shun has no fucking idea how this shit even works or what's even appropriate, he's really only aware that he's thinking way too much (and probably too fantasizing) about it; maybe Yuuya just really wanted to show him the kitchen and he's just making all this tension and butterflies up.

Yuuya fidgets, as if he's expecting something, or maybe Shun's projecting.

"Back door?" Shun prompts. It's the next step, it's what they can at least fall back on because they're getting nowhere like this if they were going anywhere with it at all.

Yuuya looks over his shoulder briefly, and Shun finally spots the damn door that's lit up by the only actual light. "Right! Uh, let me just put my apron away," Yuuya responds, and bustles off towards the door; Shun follows, because that happens to be his destination, too. Yuuya notices and puts his face in his hand. "God, yeah, you could've-sorry, I should have just said 'let's go!' or something."

Shun shakes his head. "It's fine. It's been a long day for you, probably." He has no fucking clue how long Yuuya's day has or hasn't been, just knows that he can't say "you're nervous being alone with me" or something like that.

Yuuya shrugs, puts his apron in one of the milk crates stacked into a tower and labeled with names. Shun notices that Yuuto's crate has a book in it and maybe he'll ask about it later or maybe he won't say anything about it, he's sure it's something Yuuto has read before and Shun probably already knows all about it. It would give himself away that's he's been back here with Yuuya if he asked, so he probably just won't bother.

"It...hasn't been that long," Yuuya's voice breaks through Shun's nerves, "it was actually nice being able to keep track of time through refilling your coffee."

Yuuya smiles up at him in a way that isn't sunshine or the sound of a hilarious punchline. It's warm and fond, thankful and boderline fucking loving and Shun wants to kiss him. Something in him clicks, like "yes this is the kind of feeling I'm feeling," and he wants to hold Yuuya and kiss him and breathe him in. He could pick him up and put him on those crates, drop his backpack and kiss him and he's positive Yuuya would want to, too.

He doesn't, but god does he want to. He wants to make bad decisions based on urges and kiss his best friend's brother, he wants to see where it goes, he wants to make the most irresponsible decision possible. He doesn't. He clears his throat, looks away, and can feel Yuuya deflate as he shuts off the last light.

"It's getting late, you know," Shun mutters, only half-committed to his words.

Yuuya's small, sighed "yeah" is almost drowned out by the shuffling of him getting his jacket off a hanger under the shelves by the door. Shun can sort of make out what's on them in the darkness: towels, some other kind of towels, and various stacks of off-white tubs labeled with masking tape but he doesn't care enough to read them. Yuuya pushes the door open with his back, his hands in his pockets and his eyes downcast.

Shun feels guilty. Not enough to do anything anyway, though, and he just follows Yuuya out the door to the outside world.

The back alley is cramped, lit like shit and Shun wonders where the hell Yuuto even parks his car. There's a marked-off spot by the door that looks more well-kept than the rest of the alley, just big enough for a motorcycle and Shun knows immediately who that's meant for. Yuuya locks the door behind them, gives it a few experimental tugs, and sighs while pocketing his keys.

Yuuya has his back against the door, and Shun has ended up standing in front of him, looking down while Yuuya bares his neck up. "I guess this is it? There's...not much left to show off to you, huh?"

Shun, despite himself, reconsiders the logistics of swooping down to kiss Yuuya. It'd involve less swooping and more bending himself in half to even reach him, his backpack would probably slide forward and smack right into Yuuya's chest (because he keeps it on one shoulder since he's cool or something), and generally it just wouldn't turn out too well. He also doesn't even know if Yuuya actually wants to be kissed or if he's just consumed with wishful thinking and strong attraction, and that would open up a lot of other issues.

Shun pinches the bridge of his nose; he's thinking about this too fucking much. "Not really, unless there's anything impressive about this alley." He goes for being honest, it usually works out neutrally if not somehow positively. Yuuya laughs, so it's not all that bad.

"I, uh..." Yuuya starts, and Shun is stuck in place, "I know we don't really talk much? Ever? It seems kind of weird how that's a thing when our siblings spend half their blogging time talking about us." Yuuya's chuckling at this, though it sounds a little dry compared to how full and lively his laughs usually are.

Shun's mouth feels drier than that; it's hard to talk, but talking is apparently what they're doing now. "They've jumped to a lot of conclusions, and I don't doubt they're not fueled by all the attention they get because of it. It's not really worth putting stock into-"

"I want-"

Yuuya stops and his head is hanging; Shun is realizing that Yuuya must have forgotten his goggles in his milk crate. He lets Yuuya just breathe it out, even if it's mostly because he doesn't know what to say. Reiji would know, but Reiji isn't here right now and Shun is considerably more inexperienced with handling Yuuya than Reiji is. It's a fact he doesn't like as it is and wants it to change.

There's a deep breath. "I want them to be right," Yuuya says softly, "I know it's been weird and kind of crazy with all this gossip and the rumors and whatever, but I don't think they're all that wrong." He sounds far more tired than sad, at least.

Shun is vaguely proud of himself for almost guessing what this was going to lead to, even if it's less "confessing" and more "we really need to talk about our feelings instead of letting everyone else do it," which he honestly favors a lot more.

"They're-" But Shun is interrupted by Yuuya's phone going off once, twice, and Yuuya curses as he whips out his phone.

"Sorry, I just-oh my god, my brothers," Yuuya groans as he's reading the two texts that came in. He then clicks his phone to sleep and looks more at Shun's chest than his face. "Yuuto's reminding me that it's trashy to make out in back alleys, and Yuuri's alerting me that Yuugo's getting his keys," he grumbles through the first part almost too fast for Shun to understand, but he understands the last part all too well. He also simultaneously appreciates Yuuto and is going to frown very heavily in his direction the next time they hang out.

"Then we should go," he says, readjusting his backpack on his shoulder but not quite making a move to leave yet. He's really bad at this "leaving" thing, but he was also in the middle of Feelings Talk so it's fair.

Yuuya huffs. "Yeah...but can we talk about this soon?" He looks up at Shun, but Shun can't really see much of his face in the shadows. "I mean-I'd rather talk now, but if Yuugo's picking me up he'll be here in five minutes and he doesn't know you're with me and you know how he gets about me and boys who aren't family," he rambles, but Shun knows he's not wrong.

"Tomorrow at the science building?" Shun offers, "I should be out of my exam by three, we can talk then."

Shun can see Yuuya's form swell up with excitement. "Yeah, that sounds great! I don't work tomorrow so that-it really works out!"

Yuuya surprises Shun with a sudden hug, and thankfully doesn't seem offended when Shun is too taken aback to return it in the slightest. He squeezes as he says, "I'm going to wait by the diner, you should probably hurry back home," and is gone as abruptly as he was surrounding Shun.

"Yeah," Shun manages to say.

They get back out onto the sidewalk, where everything is lit in the darkness, and Shun is endeared to see Yuuya's cheeks tinged red.

Yuuya smiles at him, radiant and glowing. "See you tomorrow!"

Shun might be smiling back, and he waves before walking away in the opposite direction of Yuuya.

He gets his phone out when he's about a block and a half away and around a few corners.

**To:** Yuuto  
**From:** Shun [10:50pm]  
What book are you reading now, anyway?


End file.
